Overused, blocking becomes the obstacle.
Switch on a dynamic guardrail, calibrated to the moment, not a one-size-fits-all lockout you have to fight.
Intelligent helper for focus
A real-time, context-aware assistant that understands how what you do connects to what you want to achieve. From gentle nudging to ruthless guarding, you can set the dial and stay in control.
Private alpha on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Not public yet. Join the waitlist, or apply for access through our WeChat beta group or Discord.
It’s not just a discipline problem. Your tools are fundamentally flawed.
Today’s focus tools all ask you to accept a bad bargain.
None of them understands your task in the moment. That is the gap Trace of Thought fills.
The same app can be a distraction, or right on-track.
Context decides
Same app, same person. Static rules cannot tell these apart. Reading context can.
Help that fits the moment, not friction you fight.
Dynamic and context-aware
The same app is distraction one minute and exactly what you need the next. We read context.
It learns you
Your thought tree becomes a second brain that learns your rhythm.
Low-friction
AI-assisted labeling, so you barely log anything by hand.
Action meets goal
It weighs whether your action serves your goal, not a ticking timer.
Core capabilities, available now.
Free during alpha 1
AI-assisted planning
Untangle a messy web of goals into one clear path. That thought tree becomes the context the AI uses to understand you.
2
Real-time activity understanding
It senses what you are working on, reading redacted window metadata, never your raw content.
Privacy by default: only redacted metadata and your feedback are ever used, never your raw content, and never more than the service needs.
3
Context-aware response
It reads your activity in context and responds to the situation, instead of mechanically slapping on a label.
4
Nudges, your way
When you drift from your goal, it brings you back the way you want it to.
Where every other category stops short.
| Capability | Trace of Thought | Static blockersOpal · Forest · Cold Turkey | After-the-factRescueTime · Toggl | AI productivityMotion · Reclaim | OS & general AIScreen Time · ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time, context-aware intervention | Dynamic | Static only | After the fact | Limited | Mostly static |
| Dynamic intervention; blocking optional, not forced | Yes | Static, forced | No | No | No |
| Full task-tree context | Yes | No | No | Partial | No |
| Low manual input | Yes | No | Passive, no context | Often manual | Limited |
| Incentives aligned with your focus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends |
| Gets to know you over time | Yes | No | No | Limited | Limited |
For everyone out to reclaim their focus:
- ADHD
- For anyone who keeps getting pulled away by distraction and still means to reclaim their focus.
- Knowledge workers
- For anyone whose deep work keeps getting interrupted and who wants it back for real.
- Students
- For learners wrestling with distraction and procrastination.
- Self-improvers
- For anyone who wants to understand and improve their digital habits.
- Goal-aligners
- For anyone who wants their daily actions to line up with their long-term goals.
On the roadmap
Configurable intensityFrom the lightest nudge to the firmest limit.
A friendly companionMeet our lovable mascot, or easily create a companion that’s all your own.
Voice assistantHands-free, voice-first interaction.
AI-assisted task creationCopilot-style completion and breakdown.
Reflection & value-awarenessSelf-reflection and self-awareness.
Analytics & insightsDaily summaries and value-alignment tracking.
Mobile appsWith you, anytime and anywhere.
The assistant has to understand you before it can help you understand yourself. We are upfront that this takes a lot of personal data, and we commit to doing everything we can to protect your privacy.
Redaction at the source
Sensitive information is stripped before it ever leaves your device.
Minimal collection
Only redacted metadata and your feedback, never your raw content.
You are in control
View, export, or delete your data anytime. We never sell or share it.
The Standard plan is free while we’re in alpha.
Free
Coming soon
- Thought-tree planning
- Basic activity tracking
- No card required
Standard
$9.99/mo $0
Free during alpha!
- Real-time, on-track AI judgment
- Non-intrusive reminders
- AI-assisted task completion
Pro
Coming soon
- Everything in Standard
- Deeper analytics & insights
- Configurable intervention intensity
- Reflection & value-awareness tools
Team
Coming soon
- Centralized management
- Shared billing
- Priority support
Introductory pricing during early access. It may be adjusted at official release.
About the founder
Bomin Zhang 张博民
Founder
CS + Philosophy at UIUC. MS in Applied AI at the University of Maryland. Works on AI value alignment, value theory, and Graph RAG.
“I’m glad to share this little thing I made. I hope you get as much from living alongside it as I do.”
Part of Well-Modeled Man
The first step toward knowing yourself.
We build AI that helps you model and understand yourself, so you can act as the person you actually mean to be. Trace of Thought is the first application of that idea.
Explore our vision
Join the alpha and shape what it becomes.
We are testing with a small group of users. It is free during development, and your feedback will shape what the product becomes.
Apply via Discord WeChat group 
Scan to join our WeChat beta group
Scan to join our WeChat beta group